Automatic coupling for steam, air, or the other pipes of railway-cars.



No. 724,720. 7 PATBNTED APR. 7', 1903.

F. F. LIPPS.

AUTOMATIC COUPLING FOR STEAM, AIR, OR OTHER PIPES 0P RAILWAY (mas.'APPLIOA T10N FILED D30. 19, 1902.

. ynoillwwzbf No. 7243720. PATENTED APR. 7, 1903.

- F. P. LIPPS.

AUTOMATIC COUPLING FOR STEAM, AIR, OR OTHER PIPES OP' RAI LWAY GARS.

I APiLIOATION FILED D30. 19, 1902. P 10 IODEL. 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

PATENTED APR. 7, 1903.

vP. F. LIPPS', L AUTOMATIC COUPLING FOR STEAM, AIR, OR OTHER .PIBESOF vRAILWAY CARS. APPLICATION PILI'ID 1120.19. 1902..

N0 MODEL.

UNITED STATES PATENT CFFICE- FRANK F. LIPPS, OF HOLYOKE, MASSACHUSETTS.

AUTOMATIC COUPLING FOR STEAM, AIR, OR OTHER PIPES OP RAILWAY-CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 724,720, dated April 7;1903.

Application filed December 19, 1902. Saturn. 135,904. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK F. LIPPs, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and a resident of Holyoke, in the county of Hampden and Stateof Massachusetts,have invented certain new and useful Improvements inAutomatic Couplings for the Steam, Air, or other Pipes of Railway-Cars,of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to automatic coup lings for the steam and airpipes of railwaycars, the object being to provide properly mounted andconnected coupler-heads each having one or several openings in itsfront, those of the one head adapted to match with and formoontinuations of the other when one car is coupled to another and theopen ings of said heads being peculiarly pipe-connected with respect ofchambers in a fixed casing mounted on the end of the car under theplatform, so that each coupler-head may have a swinging movement into alowered position in consequence of the cars being coupled and the pipecoupler-heads brought facewise forcibly one against the other, suchswinging movement of the head through a corresponding movement of thepipe connecting it with the stationary casing being operable toautomatically open the passage-way through the said casing correspondingto the pipe connection, whereby the'steam or air, or both, may runthrough the longitudinal pipes of the one car, throughjhe fixed casingand coupler-head thereof to the coupler-head and fixed casing of thenext car, and thence to and through the longitudinal pipe or pipes ofthe latter.

' Other objects of the invention are shown as capable of being carriedout in the means and mechanisms shown and hereinafter more fullydescribed; and the invention consists in the constructions,arrangements, and combinations of parts, all substantially ashereinafter fully described, and set forth in the claims. 4

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure lis a side elevation of the steam and 'air conduits, casings, andautomatic coupler-heads shown as applied on and in relation to two cars,the platform portions of which are indicated as coupled by the orditheirclosed or coupled relations.

nary car-couplings. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the novel parts whichare shown in Fig. 1, but as in their approached but not in Fig. 3 is afront elevation of the coupling device shown as in its position ofapplication adjacent and under the platform at one end of the car. Fig.4 is substantially a plan view of the devices in the correspondingarrangement of the elevation, Fig.2. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of oneof the coupler-heads. Fig. 6 is a horizontalcross-section through one ofthe coupler-heads as taken substantially on the line 6 6, Fig. 5, andshowing the swivel-joint connection provided for and between the headand one of the supporting pipe connections therefor. Fig. 7 is anelevation view as taken at the front (or as looking at the end of thecar) of one of the fixed casings, the upper portion of the figure beingin vertical section,-showing one of the chambers therein and the pipeconnection therewith, such connecting-pipe being shown as closed fromcommunication withthe chamber. Fig. 8 is an elevation as seen at theright-hand side or edge of the casing shown in Fig. 7, this viewshowing'the connection at this side of the swinging pipes. Fig. 9 is asectional view corresponding to the upper sectional portion, Fig. 7, butshowing thepipe connection as open to communication with the chamber inthe casing corresponding to such pipe as insured by a partial rotarymovement imparted to the pipe. Fig. 10 is aho'rizontal sectional view astaken on the line 10 10. Fig. 11 is an end view of a fitting applied inconnection with the aforementioned chambered casing and which is shownin Figs. 7, 9, and 10.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all ofthe views.

In the drawings, AA represent the platform portions; 12, passenger oroth'er cars having the usual car-coupling a and showing the usuallongitudinal pipes 10, 11, and 12, 1O 10 being, for instance, theair-brake pipes of the car 11 11 the pipes for conducting air to operatethe whistle, and 12 12 pipes for the steam heating apparatus. Thesepipes by elbow-couplings and short vertical and horizontal continuationshave connections with chambers10,11, and 12, formed within the casing B,one of which casings is shown as provided for each car, being supportedat and under the front of the platform thereof. by the stable metallicstrap-like bracket or hanger 14. An opening (shown in Figs. 7, 9, and10) is formed through the comparatively thick wall at one of the lateralsides of the said casing, having the bushing 16 screwengaged therein,said bushing being provided with the gland l7, and through this glandand bushing is entered the short horizontal pipesection 18, an innerportion thereof having the shoulder 19 to engage the inner end of thebushing within the chamber 10 and arranged normally to have its open endclosed by beingin yielding pressure,bearing against the tapered portion20 of the part 22, which is practically a valve for closing the end ofthe pipe-section l8 and preventing the passage of steam from the pipe 10through the chamber 10 to the pipe-section 18. The said part 22 has astem 23 playing in the bore 24 of the fitting 25, which is of a generalcylindrical form, screw-threading into the opening 26, formed in thewall of the casing opposite to that through which the aforementionedpipe-section 13 is entered. The enlarged forward portion of the part 22has the annular wall 27, which surrounds the seat portion, formed withdifferentportions ofits inwardlyprotruding end more or less prominent,constituting the cam-surface 28, and the said enlargement of the part 22has the opposite radial lugs 29 29, engaging in opposite longitudinalways 30 in the inner end portion of the cylindrical-shaped opening ofthe fitting 25. Aspiral spring 32, located in said cylindrical openingof the fitting in bearing against the end wall thereof, encircling thestem 23 of the part 22 and reacting inwardly against the enlargement ofsaid part 22, exerts normally the pressure against the latter to keep itseated against the adjacent end of the pipesection 18. The inner endportion of said pipe-section 18, located within the chamber 10, has theencircling endwise-acting cam 34, arranged to cooperate, when saidpipe-section is partially turned, with the aforementioned cam 28,thereby crowding the seat and pipe closing part 22 against the spiralspring 32, leaving the connection open from the pipe 10 through thechamber 10' to and through the pipe-section 1S.

The formations of the inner end portions of the pipe-sections 18 and 18are the same in and relative to the chambers 11 and 12 corresponding tothe conduits for operating the whistle and the steam-pipes 11 and 12 asdescribed for the pipe-section 18 in connection with the casing-chamberl0 pertaining to the conveyance of the air for operating the airbrakemechanism as well as also the valveseat part 22, cam formations 28 and34, and other devices which have been described in detail andparticularly pointed out in the sectional views 7 to ll-that is to say,a complete section through Fig. 7 would show exact duplications of allthat has thus far been pointed out as provided and arranged in the upperpart of said View.

The two or more of the pipe-sections 18, 18, and 18 extended out throughthe lateral side of the chambered casing have, by rigid elbowcouplings37, the pipe-sections 38, 38, and

38 therewith connected and arranged for swinging movements in the mannerof the links of a parallel rule in a common vertical plane at rightangles to the axes of the pipesections 18, 18, and 18 the opposite endconnections of these pipe-sections 38, 38, and 38 being by swivelelbow-joints 39 (arranged as particularly indicated in Fig. 6) connectedwith and into the coupler-head 0, having separate chambers 40 therein,in number corresponding to the number of pipes of each car to be coupledwith a like number of another car.

The pipe continuation to make communication from the chamber 10' in thecasing B into the corresponding chamber 40 in the coupling-head O at theentrance into the latter is accomplished by the short pipe-section 42,the axis of which is parallel with that of the pipe-section 18, and soalso the other short pipe-sections 42 and 42 are axially parallel withthe corresponding pipe-sections 18 and 18 and leading from each one ofthe inclosed chambers in the coupler-head C forwardly through the wallof said head and in a line at right angles to the pipe connection 42,&c., is the opening 44, these openings being duplicated, as shown at 44and 44 and each opening is provided with a rubber annular section 45,flanged for engagement back of a shoulder formed in the seat therefor inthe front Wall of the coupler-hand, such annular section forwardlyprotruding, so that when the corresponding sections 45 of the twocoupler-heads come together there may be more or less compressionbetween these sections to make a tight joint.

The coupler-head O for each car, mounted, as described, at the forwardlower extremities of two or more of the pipe-sections 38, 38, or 38 &c.,is capable of a rising-and-falling movement, but without any materiallateral movement in any direction, and each of the coupling-heads iswhen the cars are separated supported in the upper position, (shown inFig. 2,) the inclination of the pipe-sections 38 38 &c., beingconsiderably less than when the cars are brought together. The springs46, mounted on the casings B, have supporting engagements with thecoupler-heads C.

When the cars are brought together and the coupler-heads come intoface-to-face contact forcibly, they are pushed in directionslongitudinally of the car, causing, as they swing downwardly asconstrained by the pipes 38, 38, and 38 and the exertions through thelever action of said downwardly-swinging pipes, rotational movements ofthe pipesections 18, 18, and 18 to cause by the cam portions at theinner ends of the latter the IIO crowding away of the seat-constitutingparts 22, so as to leave the inner end of each of said pipe-sections 18,18, and 18 open to connection with the respective air, whistle, or steampipes l0, l1, and 12, whereby those of the one car become ascontinuations of those of the other car.

Each of the coupler-heads O is shown as being provided with upper andlower divergent and forwardly-projecting horns 50 and with one horn 52,forwardly projecting from the side of the'head outwardly divergent fromthe true longitudinal line, the one side horn 52 for one head beingarranged opposite from the side of the location of the correspondinghorn for the other head. The upper and lower horns 5O 50 of the one headare both located at or near one side of the head opposite to the side ofthe location of the corresponding horn on the head of another car to bebrought into coupled relations therewith, and the heads are to bemounted as nearly at thesame height on the cars as possible andcentrally in the same vertical longitudinal plane, so that the openings44, 44, and 44 may be brought to match one set with another, the horns50 50 and 52 of the one head by engagement at the top and bottom and atone side of the other head rectifying any slight inequality which mayexist as between the positions of the heads preparatory to being broughtforcibly into contact one with the other.

While the coupler heads 0 0 are constructed, designed, and arranged forcodperation with three difierent conduits for each car and havecooperative connections with the re spective valve devices in thecasings B,pertain ing to the respective conduits, the head for each carmay operate to couple and automatically open'and'close, for instance,the air-con duits or any one set or two sets of the conduits, it'beingappreciated that the pipe-sections 38 38 38 &c., perform the tripleduties of fluid-conductors, of constraining means for the yieldingmovements of the coupler-heads, and of operating means for the valveappliances pertaining to the conduits terminating in the coupler-heads.

It is to be stated that the apparatus is susceptible of considerablemodification and changes in respect of details of construction withoutdeparting from the invention as comprised in the general idea of meansto the ends to be attained. I 1

Inasmuch as it is desirable after the cars have been coupled to open thepassage through the air-pipe for the brake mechanism to retain suchpassage open after the cars have been uncoupled and separated,provisionis made for automatically holding the valveseat part 22 in its recededposition away from the end of the pipe-section 18 in the casingchamber10 by providing a spring-depressed latching-bolt 54 in suitablesupporting and.

guiding formations which are constructed in and in connection with thefitting 25, which bolt 54 is adapted to have a snap-catch engagementin'a notch 55 in thestem of the valve-seat part 22.

The cars being coupled and the air-brake pipe opened through from onecar to the other,

separation of the cars will leave the air-brake pipes open, because ofthe retention of the valve part 22 in its receded position by theengagement therewith of the bolt 54; but after the cars have been fullyseparated and whenever it is desirable to close the air-brake conduitfrom=connection with the couplingthe valve pertaining to this conduitmay be permitted to close by the reaction of its'spring by manuallyreleasing the bolt 54 through the chain 55"or otherwise.

I Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

- 1. The combination with a conduit of a railway-car,of arotatably-mounted pipe continuationof said conduit having anangularlyturned pipe-section, a coupler-head having an opening throughits-front, a pipe-section arranged parallel with the said rotatable pipecontinuation having an angular swivel connection with the aforesaidangularly-turned pipe-section, and in communication with said frontopening, and another section parallel with said angularly turned pipesection, which at one end is angularly swivel-connected to thecoupler-head and which has at its opposite end a pivotal engagement witha fixture of the car.

2. The combination with a conduit of a rail- Way-car, of arotatably-mounted pipe continuation of said conduit having anangularlyturned pipe-section, a coupler-head having an opening throughits front, and having upper and lower forwardly-extending, andrespectively upwardly and downwardly inclined horns at one side'of theopposite end portions thereof and having a forwardly-extending andlaterally-divergent horn projecting from its side portion between itsends and opposite from the location of the upper and lower horns, thepipe-section arranged parallel with said rotatable pipe continuationhaving an angular swivel connection with the aforesaid angularly-turnedpipe-section and in communication with said front opening of the head,and another section parallel-with said angularly-turned pipe-sectionwhich at one end is angularly swivel-connected to the coupler-head andwhich has at its opposite end a pivotal engagement with a fixtureof thecar.

3. The combination with a conduit of'a railway-car, of arotatably-mounted pipe continuation of said conduit having anangularlyturned and downwardly-inclined pipe section, a coupler headhaving an opening through its front, a'pipe-section arranged parallelwith the said rotatable pipe continuation having anangular swivelconnection with the-aforesaid angularly-turned pipe-section, and incommunication with said front opening, another section arranged downwardly-inclined parallel with said angularlyturned pipe-section which atone end is angularly swivel-connected to the coupler-head, and which hasat its opposite end a pivotal engagement with a fixture of the car, anda spring having a supporting engagement with the coupler-head.

4E. Thecombinationwithapluralityofseparate conduits of a railway-car, aplurality of rotatably-mounted pipe continuations of said conduitshaving angularly-turned pipe-sections, a coupler-head having separatedopenings, through its front, pipe sections arranged parallel with thesaid rotatable pipe continuations, having angular swivel connectionswith the aforesaid angularly-turned pipe-sections, and in communicationwith said openings through the front of the heads, and a spring on whichthe head has a supporting engagement.

5. The combination with a conduit of a railway-car, ofarotatably-mounted pipe continuation of said conduit having anangularlyturned pipe-section, a coupler-head having, an opening throughits front, provided with a forwardly-protruding annular section ofcompressible material and having upper and lower forwardly-extending andrespectively upwardly and downwardly inclined horns at one side of theopposite end portions thereof and having a forwardly-extending andlaterally-divergent horn projecting from its side between its ends andopposite from the location of the upper and lower horns, the pipesectionarranged parallel with said rotatable pipe continuation having anangular swivel connection with the aforesaid angularlyturnedpipe-section and in communication with said front opening of the headand another section parallel with said angularlyturned pipe-sectionwhich at one end is angularly swivel-connected to the coupler-head andwhich has at its opposite end a pivotal engagement with a fixture of thecar.

6. The combination with a conduit of a railway-car, and a casing havinga chamber into which said conduit leads having its open end within saidchamber and mounted for rotational movement and extended beyond saidcasing, and having an angularly-turned pipesection, a valve applianceadapted to close the end of said pipe in said chamber, a cam mounted onthe rotatable pipe, acoupler-head having an opening through its front, apipesection arranged parallel with the said rotatable pipe having anangular swivel connection with the aforesaid angularly-turnedpipe-section, and in communication with said front opening, and anothersection parallel with said angularly-turned pipe-section which at oneend is angular-1y swivel-connected to the coupler-head, and which has atits opposite end a pivotal engagement with a fixture of the car.

7. The combination with a conduit of a railway-car, and a casin gmounted and stationary on the car, having a chamber into which saidconduit leads, of a rotatably-mounted pipe having its open end withinsaid chamber and mounted for rotational movement and extended outwardlybeyond the casing and having an angularly-turned pipe-section, a valve-.constituting part 22 mounted for a reciprocatory movement in line with,and against and away from the end of, said pipe, and having aclosing-spring, cam devices between the rotatable pipe and thevalveconstituting part, a coupler head having an opening through itsfront, a pipe-section arranged parallel with the said rotatable pipecontinuation having an angular swivel connection with the aforesaidangularly-turned pipe-section, and acommunicatiou with said frontopening, and another section parallel with said angularlyturnedpipe-section which at one end is angularly swivel-connected to thecoupler-head, and which has at its opposite end a pivotal engagementwith said casing.

8. In a pipe-coupling apparatus for a railway-car, the combination withthe conduit and a casing fixed on the car havinga chamher into which theconduit opens, an opening through the side wall of the casing, extendinginto said chamber in which the screw-bushing 16 is fitted, thepipe-section 18 having its inner extremity located within said chamberand having the annular shoulder engaging the inner end of the bushing, acoupler-head movably mounted and having an opening therein, apipe-section angularly arranged in relation to the pipe-section l8 andrigidly connected thereto, and having an angular swivel connection withthe coupler-head and in communication with the opening in the latter, aspring-closed valve device within the said chamber normallyclosing theend of the pipesection 18, and cam devices arranged between the section18 and said valve device, operable to open the latter upon therotational movement of the pipe-section.

9. In a pipe-coupling apparatus for a railway-car, the combination withthe conduit and a casing fixed on the car having a chamber into whichthe conduit opens, an opening through the side wall of the casing,extending to said chamber in which the fitting 25 is screw-engaged whichfitting has the bore 24 and the longitudinal way 30, the pipe-section 18rotatable through the wall of the casing opposite the fitting 25, andhaving its inner extremity located within said chamber, thevalve-constituting part 22 having the lug 29 and the stem 23, the spiralspring 32, a coupler-head movably mounted and having an opening therein,a pipe-section angularly arranged in relation to the pipe-section 18 andrigidly connected thereto and having an angular swivel connection withthe couplerhead and in communication with the opening in the latter,devices arranged between the pipe-section 18 and said valve part 22,operable to open the latter upon the rotational movement of the saidpipe-section.

pipe-section 18 extending through said bushing, having the annularshoulder 19 engaging the end of the latter, and having its in-' nerextremity located within the chamber and provided with the encirclingcam-face 34, the part 22 having the stem 23 guided in said bore 24 andhaving its inner end portion arranged for a closing bearing against theend of the pipe-section 18, and provided with the opposite lugs 29 andthe encircling cam-face 28, and the spiral spring 32 seated within saidfitting 25 and exerting a force against the said part 22 in a directiontoward the end of the pipe-section 18, substantially as described.

11. The combination with a conduit of a railway-car, and a casing havinga chamber into which said conduit leads, of a pipe having its open endwithin said chamber and mounted for rotational movement and extendedbeyond said casing, and having an angu-larly-turned pipe-section, avalve appliance adapted to close the end of said pipe in said chamber, acam mounted on the rotatable pipe cooperating with said valve, acoupler-head having an opening through its front, a pipe-sectionarranged parallel with the said rotatable pipe having an angular swivelconnection with the'aforesaid angularly-turned pipe-section, and incommunication with said front opening, another section parallel withsaid angularly-turned pipe-section which at one end is angularlyswivel-connected to the coupler-head, and which has at its opposite enda pivotal engagement with a fixture of the car and anautomatically-operable latch to engage and hold said valve open,substantially as described.

12. An apparatus for coupling the steam and air pipes of a railway-car,consisting of parts in combination, and arrangement, viz:

the casing B supported by the car, having the separate chambers 10 11 12the conduits 1,0 11 and 12 leading to said chambers,

Ithe pipe-sections 18 18' and 18 rotatably mounted through the wall ofsaid casing, and

having their extremities located in the respective chambers and havingcams 34, a valve-constituting part provided and spring :closed againstthe end'of each said pipe-section'and having a portion to be actedagainst by the pipe-section cam, the coupler-head having the openings 4444' and 44 and the pipe-sections 42 42 42 in communication with saidopenings and parallel with the pipe-sections 18 18 and 18 the parallelpipe-sections 38 38 38 rigidly connected angularly to the pipe-sections18 18 18 and having angular swivel connections with the pipe-sections 4242 42 and springs for supporting the coupler-head and said pipe-sectionsin downward inclinations, substantially asdescribed.

Signed by me at Springfield, Massachusetts, in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

FRANK F. LIPPS.

Witnesses:

WM. S. BELLows, A. V. LEAHY.

